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House Judiciary Committee gives favorable report to bill raising penalties for firing into dwellings
Summary
The House Judiciary Committee reported H3650 favorably after Representative Johnson explained changes that increase fines and add enhanced penalties when a person is struck. The measure passed committee by voice roll call with 22 yeas and two not voting.
The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday gave a favorable report to H3650, a bill that would increase penalties for knowingly and intentionally discharging a firearm into a dwelling.
Representative Johnson, who presented the bill to the committee, said the current statute’s fine level was set “at $1,000 which is really just way too low.” He described the bill as adding a provision that raises monetary penalties and provides an enhanced penalty when the discharge strikes someone.
The measure would increase the base fine from the existing statutory level to a new maximum of $20,000 and keep the underlying imprisonment term at up to 10 years; if the discharge results in striking a person the proposal raises the maximum fine to $50,000 and the prison term to 15 years, according to Johnson’s explanation. He told the panel these changes update penalties from the original amount set when the statute was first enacted.
After the presentation, Chairman Newton called for a roll call. By committee announcement, H3650 received a favorable report by a vote of 22 in favor, 0 opposed and 2 not voting.
The committee did not adopt amendments during the floor of the committee. Committee staff conducted the roll call using members’ last names only. No additional implementation steps or effective-date language were recorded in committee discussion.
The bill now moves through the legislative process for further consideration by the full chamber or other committees as required by House rules.
